Igbo political leaders urged to negotiate Nnamdi Kanu’s release before 2027 frenzy

…As cleric says endorsing ruling party candidates without a thought for Kalu would bring a curse

Political leaders of the South-East extraction have been urged to focus on negotiating freedom for the incarcerated freedom fighter, Nnamdi Kanu, rather than the craze to endorse the ruling party candidates for 2027.

The admonition came from a cleric, onetime Rivers State chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN).

Eugene Ogu, who goes by the title of apostle, appeared miffed by the recent release of 70 alleged bandits from detention by the Katsina State government.

The founder and general overseer of one of the strongest churches in Rivers State cast aspersion on political leaders in the south-east for failing to work out modalities for the release of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, from jail.

Last week, the Katsina State government released 70 convicted bandits to sustain what it described as “peace deals”, a situation that sparked wide-spread condemnation by stakeholders across Nigeria.

Reacting to this shocking development, the Apostle called on everyone of Igbo descent at home and in diaspora to condemn the recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for second term in 2027 during an APC meeting at Enugu state without robust engagement with top Igbo leaders.

“Am calling on all Igbo associations, professionals, men, women, traders, students, youths and transporters, home and abroad to vehemently disassociate themselves from that embarrassing Enugu endorsement of Tinubu for second term by those sellout self-made eastern politicians”, he said.

The outspoken cleric noted that while the Northern political leaders engaged in negotiations to release 70 terrorist killers and more of their people who have killed, maimed, kidnapped and terrorized the country from jail to go free, those eastern political servants of their oppressors could not even secure the release their son, brother, and kinsman, Nnamdi Kalu who was kidnapped and unjustly jailed by those they are endorsing.

“How can we as Igbos trust any of those politicians? We must mark and avoid them. It would amount to a curse to any Igbo sons and daughters who support any group or persons supporting APC government while Kalu is still held in detention.

Read also: Nnamdi Kanu is good riddance to bad rubbish

“The God of justice will never let them have peace or succeed in their endeavors. These are the betrayers of the Igbo land and Igbo dream. How can a country that publicly displayed marginalization almost in every sector of the country against the wellbeing of Ndigbo fare well?”

Going down memory lane, the former Rivers state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said: “From the killings of millions of Igbos during the civil war to denying the East of the 6th state like other zones, to the deplorable roads throughout the eastern region, to no federal industries, to the constant killing of Igbo youths at the slightest protest or provocation even with open verbal threats, to the destruction and setting ablaze of their businesses in Lagos and many other parts of the country, to the defrauding of Peter Obi of his electoral victory during the 2023 election, to the incarceration of Nnamdi Kalu in Kano and still frustrating his efforts to appeal the injustice done to him, Igbos continue to be at the receiving end of maltreatment”.

He said that the endorsement of President Tinubu by some Igbo APC leaders was a clear proof of disconnect from the reality in Igbo land.

“We must as ‘Igbo bu Igbo’ never allow these politicians continue to mislead our people and use us for their selfish interests. Enough is enough. Let them show their worth by releasing Kalu so we see how genuine their ambitions were. They spoke for themselves and never for us Ndigbo”.

Igbo leaders are also being condemned for being quick to endorse aspirants who have not even become candidates, even when kinsmen of the aspirants from other ethnic nationalities were yet to endorse them.

Critics say endorsement involves deep review of manifestoes, character content of candidates, capacity to win, and wide consultation within the region that is said to endorse anybody. These paperweight endorsements have come under attack by well-meaning Nigerians.

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